Field of the Invention
The invention described herein generally relates to a door guard, and in particular, a portable door hinge guard that can be secured on a door hinge from the interior of a door.
Description of the Related Art
Door chains, swing bars, a variety of swing guards, and other types of door guards are widely used as security devices for a door. These door guards allow an occupant to open the door and leave a gap (small opening) to allow the occupant to talk and see or receive objects through the open gap. However, these door guards have their vulnerabilities and can easily be circumvented once the door has been opened either by lock picking or, in the worst case scenario, by an actual key. An intruder, a trespasser or a thief can cut or even force the door guard to spring out of the door and/or the door frame just with a strong push against the door, forcing the screws holding the door guard in place to pop out.
There are many door guards available in the market to increase the security of the door. However, the majority of them are devices that are fixed onto the door and/or onto the complementary elements of the door and not portable or mobile. Most of them, specifically those that are portable, do not offer the feature that allows one to open the door to leave an open gap that is secure enough to allow the occupant to talk and see or receive objects through the open gap just like the chain or swing guards.
Thus, there is a need for a device that maintains the purpose behind the aforementioned door guards, but that can provide an additional buffer that is out of reach from any intruder or trespasser after they have successfully tampered with the security device. Currently, there does not exist a new security device that is not bulky, light, portable, not fixed in place, and that would be able to allow the door to open safely leaving an open gap. Such a device should be versatile enough to be used at home or to be carried along on trips, and to be used as a reusable portable security device for hotels doors, enabling the user not only to depend on the security device for one's own security, but also not having to rely on portable devises that do not offer the option to securely open the door to leave a gap, or to rely on the popular use of a chair pressed against the door to prevent forced entry, or use other commercially available portable devices such as the bulky bar lever that functions under the same principle as the use of the chair.